Various media, such as magnetic tapes and optical disks, have conventionally been known as the media for recording the speech, music and so on. These media, being manufactured in large quantity, involve somewhat high cost per unit and, in addition, take up a greater storage space. In the case where any speech-recorded medium has to be handed over to another person at a distant place, a lot of time and effort are required even if it is mailed, or directly passed over, to him or her. The same thing can also be said about the so-called multimedia information as a whole including, not only the audio information but also the video information obtained from the camera, video device, etc., and digital code data obtained from personal computers, word processors, etc.
A group, including some of the inventors, has invented a system capable of recording the multimedia information containing at least one of the audio information, video information and digital code data on an information recording medium, such as a paper sheet, on dot code form, that is, as image information, namely, coded information, capable of facsimile transmission and copying in large quantity at low costs and a system for reproducing it and has filed these systems as an international application PCT/JP93/01377 (WO 94/08314).
In the information reproducing system under this international application an information reproducing apparatus is adapted to optically read out the dot code on the information recording medium and reproduce it. This method comprises effecting reading operation by, while manually holding the information reproducing apparatus, scanning the recording medium along its recorded dot code.
However, the structure of the dot code pattern per se is now under investigation so as to further improve the recording density. Under this situation no full consideration has yet been given to the information recording medium and information reproducing apparatus under the above-mentioned international application in terms of the flexibility of their future changes or modifications.
It is also desirable to more positively effect the reproduction of the code pattern.